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India.com
2 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Why China Is Quietly Panicking Over A Pakistani Missile Found In India
New Delhi: In the fog of the brief but intense May 6-7 India-Pakistan air stand-off, a single smoking clue has emerged – one that is now causing serious heartburn in Beijing. Fragments of a Chinese-made PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, launched by Pakistan's Air Force during the clash, were recovered by Indian authorities near Kamahi Devi village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur. This was not only any wreckage. The debris was largely intact, including its dual-pulse motor, datalink, inertial navigation system and the crown jewel (AESA radar seeker). India is now in possession of the brain and engine of China's most advanced air-to-air missile. And that is a nightmare scenario for Beijing. India's Operation Sindoor saw dozens of Rafales, Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirages take the skies loaded with Meteor missiles, SCALP cruise weapons and Hammer bombs. Pakistan retaliated with Chinese-supplied J-10Cs and JF-17s, armed with the PL-15E – a radar-guided missile with a range upwards of 200 km. It was one of these missiles – fired in anger at Indian aircraft – that ended up in Indian territory, almost fully intact. Suddenly, China's hush-hush missile technology is in the labs of India's DRDO. Global powers are watching closely. World Wants a Piece of the Debris According to defence sources, the Five Eyes alliance (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand) along with Japan and South Korea have all informally requested access to the missile's remains. Their target? The AESA seeker and dual-pulse propulsion tech – hallmarks of China's push to outpace Western missile systems. The incident, though underplayed in Chinese state media, is causing major alarm within the PLA's defence ecosystem. Developed by AVIC and showcased as China's answer to the American AIM-120D and European Meteor, the PL-15E has now been exposed in real combat and worse compromised. For Indian defence scientists, it is a rare windfall. With critical components in hand, India's missile development programmes like the Astra Mk II could get a serious boost, especially in radar jamming resistance, seeker tech and extended range propulsion. Not just that – Indian engineers could now cross-check the effectiveness of China's vaunted missile under real conditions and possibly expose weaknesses that even the PLA may not want to admit. Beijing Responds… Carefully China's defence ministry has been measured in its words. Spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang avoided direct comment on the missile's failure or capture. Instead, he called for calm, saying, 'India and Pakistan are neighbours who cannot be moved… China is willing to play a constructive role.' But he did, notably, confirm that the PL-15E was used – marking its first operational deployment. According to SIPRI, a staggering 81% of Pakistan's arms imports now come from China, up from 74% a few years ago. This includes more than half its fighter jets (JF-17s, J-10Cs), missile systems like the PL-15E, air defence systems and satellite capabilities. Reports even indicate that China rushed new PL-15E missiles to Pakistan at the peak of the May conflict – part of Beijing's support to its 'iron brother'. What Happens Now? The missile debris is a trophy as well as a strategic liability for China, a tech boon for India and a milestone in South Asia's arms race. It also marks a shift – wars now may not need territorial invasion. They can be fought remotely through missiles, drones, radars and secrets buried in missile wreckage. China's weapon has spoken but not in the way Beijing hoped.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
India should be cautious about Pakistan's false claims: Op Sindoor
While India is struggling to protect the common man living on the borders against Pakistan army-supported terrorists, some international powers are keen on testing the sophistication of Pakistan's imported arsenal. However, the results proved far from decisive. India carried out precision airstrikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was very close to war, but India acted with restraint and targeted only terrorist camps and military bases, and not civilians. India can target every system at Pakistan's base, but Air Marshal AK Bharti explained that the country has maintained restraint despite its high capability. Our military operation, Operation Sindoor, targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, especially militant camps in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur. Despite these setbacks, Pakistan breached the ceasefire within hours after the May 10 agreement. It was an attack from Pakistan! On May 8-9, Pakistan launched a massive drone attack using around 300-400 drones, targeting 36 locations in India, including military bases and religious sites like those in Srinagar and Naliya. India suffered serious human losses because of mindless terror. Still, the IAF's response was directed only at military installations, avoiding civilians and collateral damage. Pakistan launched a massive drone attack on Indian cities, while our fully prepared air defence forces successfully countered the drone attacks, preventing any damage to the intended targets. Pakistan launched its own military operation, targeting several key bases in India. They allowed civilian aircraft to fly out of Lahore during the drone attacks, including international passenger aircraft, which posed a significant challenge for India's response. Yes. Indian air defence shot down most of the drones, and no major damage occurred. Japan Times' report Well-known columnist, Brahma Chellaney wrote in his column, 'The Japan Times,' that the J-10Cs launched multiple PL-15E missiles at Indian targets, but there is no independent verification of successful hits. India's integrated air defences withstood the onslaught, gaining air superiority'. Every Indian, and our army, felt proud 'by the conflict's end, Indian airstrikes had crippled major Pakistani air bases — including Nur Khan and Bholari — without suffering any confirmed retaliatory damage. Nur Khan, near Pakistan's nuclear command and army headquarters, was particularly symbolic. Its precise targeting by Indian cruise missiles signaled a calibrated message: Even high-value, well-defended assets are not beyond reach.' And 'Pakistan reportedly launched 300 to 400 drones in a single night, yet satellite imagery showed little damage on Indian soil. India, by contrast, relied on precision standoff weapons — especially the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, codeveloped with Russia, which successfully hit high-value targets in Pakistan with minimal risk to Indian military personnel.' The Japan Times wrote that India and China remain locked in a military standoff at the Himalayas and this was triggered in 2020 by Chinese encroachments on Indian border lands. Despite diplomatic moves to ease tensions, both countries continue to mass troops and weaponry along the disputed frontier. The combat data generated from the conflict with Pakistan offers India an invaluable edge in anticipating Chinese capabilities and countermeasures. Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed that they had shot down at least five Indian fighter jets on the first day. But there was no proof, no wreckage photos and satellite imagery to corroborate the claim. The Indian military dismissed the allegation, stating that all its pilots had returned safely. It was a major embarrassment for Pakistan. Its Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was under fire for promoting misinformation in the wake of Operation Sindoor. False and fake Readers should use fact-checkers like Factly. Fact: This video showing visuals of a crashed fighter jet being lifted by a helicopter is AI-generated. It was uploaded on May 3, before the start of 'Operation Sindoor'. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE'. 'Factly' explained, 'We found discrepancies in the viral video, prompting suspicion that it might have been generated using AI. To gather more information, we conducted a reverse image search of the key frames, which led us to the same video uploaded on a YouTube channel on May 3, three days before Operation Sindoor. In that video, it is described as an AI-generated scene showing a crashed fighter jet being lifted by a helicopter'. BrahMos: Standout performer It is called Brahmastra against our rivals 'The BrahMos missile, already exported by India, emerged as the standout performer during the conflict. Further, the newspaper commented, ''This was not a conventional border conflict, but a high-tech showdown featuring drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and long-range air defences. While India and Pakistan were the primary belligerents, a third power — China — played a pivotal, if indirect, role…. Beijing's involvement via the supply of advanced weapon systems and real-time satellite reconnaissance data to Pakistan turned the engagement into a revealing trial run for Chinese arms in a live combat setting. It was reported by the media that IAF Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan had on May 31 rejected Pakistan's claims that it had shot down six Indian warplanes during Operation Sindoor, calling the information 'absolutely incorrect'. The CDS added, 'what is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being downed'. General Chauhan clarified that the good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake, which was made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly our jets again, targeting at long range'. He stated that 'the backbone of Pakistan' was badly damaged. Congress questions: Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh wanted to know why the Prime Minister did call for an all-party meeting on the issue 'Why did people learn about the operation through an interview with General Chauhan in Singapore?' 'Were some Indian jets destroyed in the early stages? Why no clear info? Some Telangana leaders accused the Centre of giving in to pressure from the US President Donald President Trump and hastily rushing into a ceasefire. Jairam Ramesh said on X that the Centre had not taken Parliament into confidence even as the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor. The Chief Minister of Telangana claimed that the Centre was afraid of Trump's pressure and had surrendered to the ceasefire. Citizens should verify India is under threat not just from terrorists and enemy countries, but also from fake news and social media rumours. Criticism is welcome in a democracy, but it must be responsible and based on facts. National security should come before politics. Let's support our armed forces, verify information, and stay united. Pakistan can never be trusted. (The writer is Professor of the Constitution of India and founder-Dean, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad)
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistani deputy PM in Beijing in aftermath of worst standoff in years with India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar began meetings today, Tuesday, with Chinese officials during a three-day visit to Beijing to discuss 'the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability,' the foreign office said. The Beijing visit comes as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has hailed the use of Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, during a flare-up in hostilities that saw the nuclear-armed neighbors pound each other with missiles, drones and artillery for four days until the United States brokered a ceasefire earlier this month. For China, Pakistan is a strategic and economic ally. It is investing over $60 billion to build infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. India and China, on the other hand, are competing regional giants and nuclear powers and widely seen as long-term strategic rivals, sharing a 3,800 Himalayan border that has been disputed since the 1950s and sparked a brief war in 1962. The most recent standoff — that started in 2020 — thawed in October as the two sides struck a patrolling agreement. Starting a day of meetings on Tuesday, Dar, who is also the foreign minister of Pakistan, met with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao. 'The DPM/FM appreciated China's firm support to Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and issues of its core interest,' the foreign office said in a statement. 'Liu reiterated that as All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and ironclad friend, China would continue to prioritize its relations with Pakistan.' In an earlier statement, the foreign office in Islamabad said Dar would discuss with Chinese leaders 'the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability.' 'The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,' the statement added. The conflict between India and Pakistan has offered the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware and Chinese defense stocks have already been surging as a result. A rising military superpower, China hasn't fought a major war in more than four decades but has raced under President Xi Jinping to modernize its armed forces, pouring resources into developing sophisticated weaponry and cutting-edge technologies. It has also extended that modernization drive to Pakistan, long hailed by Beijing as its 'ironclad brother.' Over the past five years, China has supplied 81 percent of Pakistan's imported weapons, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Those exports include advanced fighter jets, missiles, radars and air-defense systems. Some Pakistan-made weapons have also been co-developed with Chinese firms or built with Chinese technology and expertise.
American Military News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Chinese weapons gain credibility after Pakistan-India conflict
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing. Pakistan hailed the use of its Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighters, including French-made Rafale aircraft, last week in response to Indian military strikes. Although the reports haven't been confirmed, and India hasn't commented, the jet's maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week. Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of China's nationalist tabloid Global Times, warned on social media that if Pakistan's successful strikes were true, Taiwan should feel 'even more scared.' Beijing sees the self-ruled democracy as its own, and reserves the right to use military force to bring it under control. Taiwan closely watched the clash between Pakistan and India, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded military think tank based in Taipei. 'We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching — or even surpassing — the level of U.S. air power deployments in East Asia,' Shu said, adding Washington might want to consider selling more advanced systems to Taiwan. While President Xi Jinping has been trying to modernize the world's biggest military by the number of active personnel, the People's Liberation Army has been mired in scandals. That had raised questions about the combat-readiness of its powerful and secretive Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional missiles and would play a crucial role in any invasion of Taiwan. The reported success of J-10Cs, which have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait, appears to counter those doubts. It's still uncertain, however, how they would fare against U.S. fighters such as the F-16, which make up the bulk of Taiwan's jets and have been combat-proven across decades and militaries. Another Chinese weapon Pakistan uses will also be coming under intense scrutiny by Beijing's adversaries. Parts of Chinese air-to-air PL-15 missiles found in India after the reported shoot-downs suggest the weapons, deployed on Pakistan's J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles. China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing's sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump's call to ramp up defense spending. 'There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers' especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C is not even China's most advanced jet. Buying weapons has also become a focus for developing nations, mulling U.S. arms purchases to appease Trump and his demands to reduce American trade imbalances. Several of these countries list China as a top trading partner and could consider hedging bets by acquiring systems from the Asian country, too. China's overseas arms sales have been growing, with its five-year average weapons exports more than tripling in 2020-2024 from 2000-2004, according to calculations based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chinese government and state-owned enterprises do not disclose data on arms exports. Some of the largest state-owned players — also blacklisted by the U.S. — include Norinco Group, which makes armored vehicles and anti-missiles systems; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, whose subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Co. manufactured the J-10Cs; as well as China State Shipbuilding Corp., a producer of frigates and submarines. M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned that the Chinese jet was primarily for aerial combat, while the Rafale was designed to conduct many kinds of missions, meaning the J-10 may have held an advantage. Chinese weapons exports have been plagued for years by defects, specialists have said, adding that the seemingly inexpensive systems can drain security budgets due to maintenance expenses. 'China attracts customers for its military equipment with cut-rate pricing and financing but there are hidden costs — especially when gear malfunctions,' Cindy Zheng, then a researcher at Rand Corp., wrote in a research paper just before joining the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latter stages of the Biden administration. In 2022, Myanmar had to reportedly ground its fleet of Chinese fighter jets due to structural cracks and other technical issues. Bangladesh lodged complaints with Beijing about the quality of its military hardware last year. Even the Pakistan Navy has been facing issues with its F-22P frigates, forcing them to operate the vessels with significantly degraded capabilities. 'Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China's ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries,' Bloomberg Intelligence's senior associate analyst Eric Zhu wrote in a note last week. China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on the past weapon defects and the J-10C's recent performance. Beijing regularly says that its military helps maintain global stability and that it prefers to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. Xi has been trying to turn China's defense industry around by bringing together the military and civilian sectors, in an effort to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027. That's led to breakthroughs such as China's launch in December of its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, considered the world's largest of its kind. A video of what is believed to be a test flight of the nations' sixth-generation fighter jet circulated on social media that year, leading to a rally in defense stocks. But it's wrong to call the J-10C's potential success a 'DeepSeek moment' for China's military, said Fravel, referring to the artificial intelligence chat bot that surprised the world earlier this year, noting that the jet's design wasn't new. 'But it doesn't need to be a DeepSeek moment to be significant,' he added. 'A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.' ___ © 2025 Bloomberg News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Chinese weapons gain credibility after Pakistan-India conflict
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing. Pakistan hailed the use of its Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down five Indian fighters, including French-made Rafale aircraft, last week in response to Indian military strikes. Although the reports haven't been confirmed, and India hasn't commented, the jet's maker saw its market capitalization soar by over 55 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or more than a fourth, by the end of last week. Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of China's nationalist tabloid Global Times, warned on social media that if Pakistan's successful strikes were true, Taiwan should feel 'even more scared.' Beijing sees the self-ruled democracy as its own, and reserves the right to use military force to bring it under control. Taiwan closely watched the clash between Pakistan and India, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded military think tank based in Taipei. 'We may need to reassess the PLA's air combat capabilities, which may be approaching - or even surpassing - the level of U.S. air power deployments in East Asia,' Shu said, adding Washington might want to consider selling more advanced systems to Taiwan. While President Xi Jinping has been trying to modernize the world's biggest military by the number of active personnel, the People's Liberation Army has been mired in scandals. That had raised questions about the combat-readiness of its powerful and secretive Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional missiles and would play a crucial role in any invasion of Taiwan. The reported success of J-10Cs, which have had few battle tests and are used to patrol the Taiwan Strait, appears to counter those doubts. It's still uncertain, however, how they would fare against U.S. fighters such as the F-16, which make up the bulk of Taiwan's jets and have been combat-proven across decades and militaries. Another Chinese weapon Pakistan uses will also be coming under intense scrutiny by Beijing's adversaries. Parts of Chinese air-to-air PL-15 missiles found in India after the reported shoot-downs suggest the weapons, deployed on Pakistan's J-10C aircraft, proved effective in their first known combat use. With a top speed above Mach 5, the PL-15 is a rival to Western air-to-air missiles. China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter but its customers are mostly developing nations like Pakistan that have limited funds. The latest developments could bolster Beijing's sales pitch as major economies from Europe to Asia heed President Donald Trump's call to ramp up defense spending. 'There is a good chance the weapons systems China is able to offer will be even more appealing to potential buyers' especially in the Global South, said James Char, assistant professor of the China Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noting the J-10C is not even China's most advanced jet. Buying weapons has also become a focus for developing nations, mulling U.S. arms purchases to appease Trump and his demands to reduce American trade imbalances. Several of these countries list China as a top trading partner and could consider hedging bets by acquiring systems from the Asian country, too. China's overseas arms sales have been growing, with its five-year average weapons exports more than tripling in 2020-2024 from 2000-2004, according to calculations based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chinese government and state-owned enterprises do not disclose data on arms exports. Some of the largest state-owned players - also blacklisted by the U.S. - include Norinco Group, which makes armored vehicles and anti-missiles systems; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, whose subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Co. manufactured the J-10Cs; as well as China State Shipbuilding Corp., a producer of frigates and submarines. M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned that the Chinese jet was primarily for aerial combat, while the Rafale was designed to conduct many kinds of missions, meaning the J-10 may have held an advantage. Chinese weapons exports have been plagued for years by defects, specialists have said, adding that the seemingly inexpensive systems can drain security budgets due to maintenance expenses. 'China attracts customers for its military equipment with cut-rate pricing and financing but there are hidden costs - especially when gear malfunctions,' Cindy Zheng, then a researcher at Rand Corp., wrote in a research paper just before joining the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latter stages of the Biden administration. In 2022, Myanmar had to reportedly ground its fleet of Chinese fighter jets due to structural cracks and other technical issues. Bangladesh lodged complaints with Beijing about the quality of its military hardware last year. Even the Pakistan Navy has been facing issues with its F-22P frigates, forcing them to operate the vessels with significantly degraded capabilities. 'Questions about combat capabilities and other issues, including concerns about interoperability with non-Chinese platforms, have hampered China's ability to expand exports beyond a handful of countries,' Bloomberg Intelligence's senior associate analyst Eric Zhu wrote in a note last week. China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on the past weapon defects and the J-10C's recent performance. Beijing regularly says that its military helps maintain global stability and that it prefers to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. Xi has been trying to turn China's defense industry around by bringing together the military and civilian sectors, in an effort to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027. That's led to breakthroughs such as China's launch in December of its first next-generation amphibious assault ships, considered the world's largest of its kind. A video of what is believed to be a test flight of the nations' sixth-generation fighter jet circulated on social media that year, leading to a rally in defense stocks. But it's wrong to call the J-10C's potential success a 'DeepSeek moment' for China's military, said Fravel, referring to the artificial intelligence chat bot that surprised the world earlier this year, noting that the jet's design wasn't new. 'But it doesn't need to be a DeepSeek moment to be significant,' he added. 'A lot is being learned about how Chinese systems perform under combat conditions.' ____ -With assistance from Colum Murphy, Alastair Gale and Philip Glamann. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
